No sooner Chitrangada Singh began her filmi career with 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' than she earned the biggest goodwill by being named the next Smita Patil. By then, she had just a handful of ads and a music video for Gulzar's 'Sunset Point'. But, her debut movie director Sudhir Mishra saw a great talent in her. A few months later, her next film 'Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow', directed by Ruchi Narain, was released. Though its trailers looked hip but soon enough news broke that Chitrangada had retired from the movies. In fact, a billboard in Juhu advertised 'Kal …'but bemoaned the departure of Chitrangada Singh from the industry. She had sought
self-exile though and emerged again towards the end of 2007.
How did she come out of long hibernation? Since she has produced an heir for the Rajput husband, she could follow her stardom, it is said. In any case, the latest news is that she is back in an expensive building in Gurgaon (close to Delhi) from Mauritius, where she has been shooting her new film 'Sorry Bhai' with director Onir. Incidentally, the media folk has found her slender and fine-boned now though shy as usual to talk too high of herself.
Isn't Chitrangada a sort of reminder to a jaded generation of the atavistic punch of beauty, one wonders! About her comeback Chitrangda says, " Onir came to Delhi. I read his script and signed within an hour." Regarding her exile just on the eve of release of her 'Kal', she says, "At that point the people I were working with, for 'Kal', I had differences of opinions with them. Then when I didn't participate in the publicity, people started saying that my husband was torturing me. I decided to pack up."
She thought its better than creating a type of snowball. She did this in spite of the fact that Vishal Bhardwaj and Ashutosh Gowarikar had offered her roles but she quit. Scotching all reports about her husband's torture, Chitrangada says that she has known her much-maligned husband Jyoti Randhawa since she was 14. Like her husband Randhawa who hails from an army family of Meerut and was her elder brother Digvijay's friend. This is to recall that Jyoti Randhawa currently ranks India's top golfer. She adds that she was already married when she went to audition for Hazaaron ….. Later, she did 'Kal'. She says," I am back now. It should be clear that Jyoti (Randhawa ) had nothing to do with my decision. However, Chitrangada admits that she was quite star-struck in Bollywood. She says, "There's insecurity. There are thousands trying for the same prize." The situation changed for her as Onir says that he had thought of her even before he knew she was coming back. About his movie, Onir says that in his romantic comedy 'Sorry Bhai' he has cast her opposite Sanjay Suri and Sharman Joshi. She has earned enough goodwill from her directors.
Her first director Mishra says, "I don't think she realises her own capacities. She has incredible emotional range, and in a soft sort of way, without any self-congratulation. She can go as far as you can take her." In October, he begins shooting his version of 'Devdas'. She plays Chandramukhi. "When she quit I too had hoped that she wouldn't. If she had stayed what movie is it that she was supposed to have done?" demands Mishra. But in the short time she has been away, the industry has made marked shifts that make a Chitrangada vital for the industry. If she was not here she would have to be invented, he adds. Her current director isn't much far in praising her . Onir says, "I decided to make her character a film buff. When we were doing her 'house' for 'Sorry Bhai', I put all my DVDs on her shelves."
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Incidentally, there has been the buzz that she was offered a role in Aamir Khan's 'Delhi Belly' opposite none other than the young and handsome Ranbir Kapoor and that she was just awaiting the script. It is said that the director of Aamir's venture had recommended her for the movie as she had worked with Deo in an ad film. However, the latest news is that Chitrangada has denied reports of working in Aamir's project. Actually, in a recent Delhi meeting she reiterated that she isn't working in Aamir's project. She says that she has opted out of the Aamir's 'Delhi Belly' for professional reasons. She says, "I am not doing the film. There were some differences on the script." She also adds that the three hero project 'Delhi Belly' had nothing much to offer to her, as she was only interested in 'performance oriented roles'. But , there seems to be some personal reason too behind this non-acceptance of Aamir's offer. Industry sources say that she has also objected to a few scenes in the movie.